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Out Now: The Magician (The Lincolns 11)

Dayo Benson

Hi lovelies,

I hope you’re well at this time. Here in the UK, we’re still in lockdown. I think this is week 5. The days have all started to blend together. It’s amazing that I know it’s Thursday today, but that’s only because I have a new release 🙂

The Magician

Xy Lincoln has no idea his life is about to change as he takes the stage to premiere a brand new line of tricks.

Everything is going perfectly until the climax of the show when he tries to levitate the whole audience and his power vanishes.

Then he senses her.

In the audience, a woman is praying. And Xy is powerless to continue his show if she doesn’t stop.

That woman is Sian Michaels. Beautiful, famous and pretty much perfect. But most of Xy’s brothers have followed Christian women out of the occult and he’s determined it won’t happen to him. He will pull out all the stops to make Sian lose her faith rather than let her make him lose his craft.

Then the Lincoln family is thrown into chaos when a powerful Practitioner kidnaps Xy’s favorite nephew, Paul (Saul’s son). Xy’s power is no match for this invisible enemy. But Sian has all these ideas about God’s power being supreme. Dangerous ideas that Xy doesn’t even want to consider.

Follow Xy Lincoln as he tries to save his nephew, grapples with what it means to truly be powerful, and discovers a shocking secret about his ‘deceased’ brother, Junior.

Get your copy today:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Smashwords

I hope you enjoy it.

God bless & stay safe xx

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Easter/Upcoming Book: The Gamble

Dayo Benson

A belated ‘Happy Easter’ from me 🙂 I hope you had a good one.

Easter was pretty busy for me. We had a three-day retreat at my church, which was nice and soul-refreshing.

My daughter, Esther, is only just learning how to write her name, and anytime we went shopping she’d grab my hand and say ‘mummy, look! That’s my name.’ She wasn’t impressed when her big sister, Rhema, informed her that all the signs say ‘Easter’ not ‘Esther.’ This is her wearing her Easter bonnet for school 🙂

Easter Monday was mine and my husband’s seven-year wedding anniversary, so we went to Spain for a few days. It was so lovely and warm. When we got back last week it was 7 degrees (Celsius) where we live. We wanted to get back onto the plane :-S

Anyway, I have book news. I’m releasing The Gamble (The Dare 3) very soon. Either this week or next week. I’ll keep you posted. Make sure you’ve signed up for my mailing list so that you get my email alert the minute it goes live. It’s the final book in the series so for those of you who are waiting for all three books to be out before starting the series, now is the time to get on board and join the rollercoaster ride that is Sloane’s and Marshal’s relationship.

Here’s the back cover blurb for The Gamble:

Love never gives up

Marshal: Maybe I’m crazy, but I can’t let Sloane go. She’s at an all-time low and Miss World is coming up, but she doesn’t have a game plan. I’ve helped her in the past, so Miss World might just be my opportunity to win her heart. Again. This time, I’m not going to let her go.

Parents know what’s best

Eli: Marshal still hasn’t gotten over his pathetic crush on Sloane. As his father, it’s my duty to do what’s best for him. Even if it means further ruining Sloane’s already messed up life. Even if it means that Marshal will hate me forever.

My life is a nightmare that I can’t wake up from

Sloane: I thought I hit rock bottom last summer, but this is a whole new level of defeat. I let Marshal get under my skin again and that choice has blown up in my face. Life is crushing me, I’m drowning, and I don’t know how to save myself.

Coming Soon 🙂

Get up to date with the Dare series before The Gamble comes out

Get your copy of book 1, The Dare, at: Amazon UK, AMAZON US, BARNES & Noble, iBooks, Kobo & Smashwords

 

 

 

 

 

Get your copy of book 2, The Bet, at: Amazon UK, Amazon US, B&N, iTunes, Kobo, Smashwords

 

I’ll post the cover for The Gamble soon 🙂

God bless.

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Cleansing my Palate – Pressure (Pure Passion 4)

Dayo Benson

PRESSURE COMPLETE.jpgHowdy guys,

I’m in that funny little place where I’m between writing projects and I don’t quite know what to do with myself. Well, actually I do know what I should be doing. I should be editing the four books that are sitting on my laptop waiting to be released. But I don’t like editing. Writing is much more fun.

I have done some editing, though. I finished editing Pressure (Pure Passion 4) last week, and even sent it on to an editor, which is pretty exciting. The Crystal series was quite intense, so it was nice to work on something a little milder. It totally cleansed my palate. I think I’ll release that next so that you all can cleanse your palates too.

I have lots of thrillers lined up to write, and also lots of sweet romances. It’s hard to decide what to write next. Today, I asked myself ‘What kind of writer do you want to be remembered as?’ Someone who wrote sweet, run of the mill Christian romance, or someone who wrote books that were deep and thought provoking and made people pause to think. I do like writing sweet romance, and romance can be powerful and meaningful. But thrillers are really growing on me. The best is when both genres are combined as romantic thrillers. I think that adding some romance into a thriller (especially if it’s an agonizing romance, like Juda’s and Crystal’s was to begin with) makes for addictive reading. And it means I don’t get bored with writing 🙂

Do you ever feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day for all the things you want to do? My best friend asked me last week if I have any more books planned. I was like, “girl I have 175 books on my ‘to be written’ spreadsheet.” She probably thought I was joking. I wasn’t. And I feel a sense of urgency about writing them, because I don’t want to spend the rest of my life looking at that spreadsheet. I want to write all those books by the time I’m 40. My husband just shook his head at me when I told him that. To be honest, I know it’s crazy, but there’s no harm in trying. If I miss my goal, I’ll settle for 45. Or 50. Nah, 40 would be ideal. (No questions about my age please :-))

Anyway, so I’m taking a break from practitioners and craft and light vs. darkness (:-) ). Pressure, a contemporary Christian romance that I wrote back in 2013, will be next. I’ll release once I get it back from the editor and I’ve had a quick look over his amendments. (Yes, my editor is a dude this time. I just hope reading all the romantic elements of Pressure isn’t too torturous for him, ha ha).

Here’s the back cover blurb for Pressure:

A woman in despair.

Brooke Chandler has lived with the guilt of her brother’s death for nine years. Despite her efforts to put the loss behind her, it still haunts her. It doesn’t help that her parents blame her, or that they see her guilt as an excuse to control her.

On the eve of her wedding to a man selected by her parents, Brooke runs away. Never mind that her fiancĂ© is the son of the biggest preacher in the city, or the fact that as a preacher’s kid herself, she is supposed to follow the rules.

James Cassidy knows a thing or two about pain, having been jilted by the love of his life two years ago. He didn’t think he was ready for love again, but there’s something about Brooke that stirs him the way no other woman ever has. But can he love a woman who has jilted another man, just as he was jilted?

Even if he can, Brooke’s heart is surrounded with seemingly insurmountable walls.

When Brooke decided to leave, she didn’t expect to run straight into the hands of a new man. And she didn’t expect to fall in love.

Can James’ faith cause Brooke to rethink her decision to turn her back on God? And can his love bring her healing?

Pressure is a compelling love story of faith overcoming fear, and freedom from guilt.

***

I’m terrible at writing book descriptions. Some of you have told me that in the past (thanks for that feedback, ha ha). I really tried hard with this one. It might change. I’ll see if my editor has anything to say about it.

Ciao xx

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The Crystal Series: Writing about Jesus, God and Angels

Dayo Benson

Jesus

I’ve just hit publish on Legacy (Crystal 9), which is very exciting. It’ll be out by tomorrow. I’m feeling particularly happy and grateful 🙂 You guys have been so amazing. I really didn’t expect the support that the Crystal series has received. This is my final post for the Legacy launch, and what better way to finish than with a discussion about our great and awesome God?

When I first started the Crystal series, I didn’t know that Jesus, God and angels were going to be in it. Neither did I know that God was going to work in me personally in so many awesome ways. I’d like to take you behind the scenes, so step into my office for a moment and let’s talk. Okay, so I don’t actually have an office as of the time I’m writing this. I write in my living room. My husband kindly bought a desk and chair and set it in the second half of the room (it’s a pretty big living room). Please ignore all the toys on the floor, and sorry about how hot the room is. My mum says I roast myself. My husband says I barbecue myself. I just like to be nice and warm. (I don’t know why the saying goes ‘the best thing since sliced bread’. It should be ‘the best thing since central heating’ as heating is my favourite invention; apart from laptops, internet and Indie publishing—but I digress).

So, take a seat in my chair. Don’t worry I’ll just sit on my daughter’s toy car 🙂 Cup of tea? Coffee? Comfortable? Okay, so


Jesus in Powerful Enemies

I was actually a little reluctant to have Jesus as an on-screen character in Powerful Enemies. I felt kind’a like it might be wrong of me to put Him in a book alongside fictional characters. Another issue I had was ‘what if I don’t do Him justice?’ What if I write Him into a scene but it doesn’t fill readers with any awe? I didn’t want to just toss Him in there just to have Him in the mix, I wanted to get a reaction. I wanted my Jesus scene to be like an artist’s impression, with me as the artist giving you my take on Him. I wanted my interpretation of Him to fill people with awe, illustrate His love and goodness and majesty, and make people love Him more. Obviously, I got over these issues and just went for it. Believe me, my heart was in my mouth as I wrote that scene. The reason I thought it was necessary was, the book is called Powerful Enemies, and every single one of us has powerful enemies (the devil and all his agents) but we have no reason to be afraid because we have a Powerful Friend. Powerful Enemies could have been called Powerful Friend to be honest, but that doesn’t sound as dramatic, ha ha.

Jesus is an expression of God’s love (God so loved the world that He gave us Jesus). So, I wanted the whole scene to illustrate Jesus’ love. That’s why I had Him appear to Luke, who is pretty much the most evil person in the book. Yet, he is the one Jesus appears to. Not Crystal, not Pastor Dan, not any of the Christians. It’s easy to love your friends, but Jesus said ‘love your enemies’ so I wanted to show Him loving an enemy. I wanted to show Him seeking a lost soul. By the way, we were all His enemies when He died for us. And He knew that despite Him dying for us, many of us would still reject Him and never become His friends. But He died in our place anyway. Isn’t He awesome?

God in Legacy

In Legacy, God the Father is an on-screen character. That was particularly awesome to write. It was so different to writing about Jesus, because I wrote about Jesus from Luke’s POV. Not from Jesus’ own POV. In Legacy I write from God’s own POV. I had to resist the urge to use ‘thou’ and ‘thy’. It was so cool. When my friend read it, she texted me to say how moved she was at reading that scene. She’s one of my closest friends so I take her opinion seriously and I know she would never just try to flatter me. So mission accomplished. At least I know it had the desired impact on one person :-). I used Isaiah 6 as my guide for that scene. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are also present. I was also careful about using ‘I’ preferring ‘we’ and ‘us’ because that was how God spoke in the Creation account and at the Tower of Babel, although there are many other instances in the Bible where He uses ‘I.’

Angel’s POV in Legacy

I was a little worried about writing about angels in Powerful Enemies, but not as worried as I was about writing about Jesus. By Legacy I was totally cool with it. In Legacy, I write from an Angel’s POV, which was a little more challenging than I thought it would be. I read about Daniel’s encounters with angels and tried to base things from that angle. It was fun.

***

Friends, if you want to go deeper with God I totally recommend writing to you as a means to that end 🙂 (not that there’s ever an end since God is infinite). Writing is cathartic, it encourages introspection, and it makes you dig deep into your own beliefs. I have learned so much through writing the Crystal series. God has taught me a lot about Himself, and He’s challenged me about being real. Not just going to church on Sundays and spouting clichĂ©s to my Christian friends. What’s the point of having the form but not the power, being religious but not righteous, or saying I’m a Christian but taking God for granted? I really don’t want to be like that.

I don’t like watching the news because the horrific things going on in this world are disturbing and so depressing. But the news is just a snippet of all the horrors and atrocities. However, God doesn’t get a snippet. He sees it all. Remember Genesis 6 where it says God looked down on the earth and was grieved? Well I would like Him to be happy when He sees me. I want to be like Noah. Faithful, living right, putting a smile on God’s face. Not being a hypocrite or just drifting through life or, God forbid, being part of the problem. Writing the Crystal series has made me think about my attitude to God. Do I love Him no matter what? Do I stand up for Him and refuse to compromise? Is my life a witness? Do I influence others for Him? It’s made me think about what God thinks of me. Is He happy when He looks at me? Am I living out His love?

The Crystal series also made me put the devil in his place, so to speak. I made his human followers very powerful in the Crystal series. Maybe more powerful than they are in real life. But that was because I wanted to show that it doesn’t matter how powerful the devil and his people are. Even the ‘smallest’ of Christians has authority over them, because God is greater.

So, thank you for your support with the Crystal series. I often pray for those who read it to experience God. I definitely experienced God while writing it. I’m much better at worshipping Him now than I used to be. And I’m more conscious of His presence around me (I don’t know if Christians really do have fire around them but I used fire as God’s stamp upon His people in the Crystal series–who knows, maybe we do). I hope you are too.

Whatever am I going to write next???

God bless 🙂

Prodigal , , , , , , , , ,

She’s a Dana

Dayo Benson

I know a girl who was the problem child. She wouldn’t do what she was supposed to, and she liked doing what she wasn’t supposed to do. She’s a Dana.

I know a girl who didn’t think the fact that her parents were saved meant she had to be. After all, if they were doctors it didn’t mean she was meant to be a doctor. She’s a Dana too.

I know a girl who wanted to fit in. Even if it meant turning her back on what she knew to be the truth. She’s a Dana.

People often ask me, “are you Dana?” I’m not Dana, but I ‘get’ Dana. Because I’ve been a Dana too.

There are lots of young people who rebel, and lots of them who don’t want what the church has to offer. They’re sick of religion. But guess what? They’re not really sick of God. Most Prodigals still believe in God but think it’s too much hard work, some think it’s impossible. And the truth is that most of us have been there. Most of us have struggled with something about Christianity. Most of us have wondered whether God can really forgive us, or whether we have what it takes to live right consistently. On a certain level, we can all relate to Prodigal young people. To Danas.

Dana represents the young person who loses her way. There are lots of Dana’s. Ok, we might not actually be Dana. But we ‘get’ Dana. Read Dana’s story!